SA Treasurer Stephen Mullighan sworn in as police minister, Emily Bourke joins Labor cabinet

A new look ministry has been unveiled by the government, including the addition of a new portfolio as Labor’s moves highlight its fears over law and order.

Emily Bourke has been elevated to cabinet for the first time, named as emergency services and correctional services minister. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Law and order has been cemented as one of the major election issues at the state poll due in 14 months after one of the government’s most senior politicians was handed a critical crime portfolio.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan, was appointed Police Minister under Premier Peter Malinauskas’s second cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday.

It is understood senior Labor officials, and MPs, are becoming increasingly concerned at the political headaches law and order crises have presented the state government in recent months.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan has taken on the police portfolio following the resignation of Dan Cregan. Picture Dean Martin

Emily Bourke, who Labor sources said had performed well as assistant minister for autism, was Wednesday’s big winner after being elevated to cabinet for the first time.

Her elevation means there are now a record seven women in state cabinet.

The Upper House MP is the new Emergency and Correctional services minister and will also take over Recreation, Sport and Racing.

This previously was Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard’s responsibility, sparking political pressure over her portfolio mixes.

Ms Bourke, a mother-of-three whose husband is ALP state secretary Aemon, is now Minister for Autism after the neurodevelopmental condition was elevated to cabinet.

The reshuffle was triggered by independent Police Minister Dan Cregan quitting the ministry ahead of leaving politics at the next election in March next year.

Mr Cregan had also held the role of Special Minister of State, which has been handed to Attorney-General Kyam Maher.

Backbencher Michael Brown has become parliamentary secretary to the premier, focusing on AI and the digital economy.

The ministers were sworn into their new roles by Governor Frances Adamson at Government House on Wednesday morning.

Mr Malinauskas said it made sense to split the role of police minister away from the roles of correctional services minister and emergency services minister – all of which had previously been held by Mr Cregan.

“There will still be collaboration across those agencies as there always is, that doesn’t change,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“But in terms of our desire to really focus in on police and to really get those police numbers up to the full rate … we really want to be assured that we’re throwing everything at it.”

Opposition police spokesman Jack Batty accused Mr Mullighan – who is also defence minister as well as treasurer – of being “Labor’s new part-time police minister”.

“We might have a new minister but we have the same problems,” he said.

“Labor has failed to recruit, retain and resource our police while crime skyrockets across the state.”

The Premier said the decision to move the sport, recreation and racing portfolio away from Ms Hildyard would allow her to focus on child protection and prevention of domestic and family violence.

He said a catalyst for the switch was the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, which is due to hand down its report this year.

“That will require a lot of work in the lead-up to that and then following it,” he said.

“This (move) just allows a chance to focus on that, which is exactly what I think people in that community expect.”

Originally published as SA Treasurer Stephen Mullighan sworn in as police minister, Emily Bourke joins Labor cabinet